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They dreamed of engrafting a temperate power on the absolute and excessive principle。
They opposed； and sometimes with rare intelligence； conservative liberalism to the liberalism which demolishes。
They were heard to say： 〃Thanks for Royalism！
It has rendered more than one service。
It has brought back tradition； worship； religion； respect。
It is faithful； brave； chivalric； loving； devoted。
It has mingled； though with regret； the secular grandeurs of the monarchy with the new grandeurs of the nation。
Its mistake is not to understand the Revolution； the Empire； glory； liberty； young ideas； young generations； the age。
But this mistake which it makes with regard to us； have we not sometimes been guilty of it towards them？
The Revolution； whose heirs we are； ought to be intelligent on all points。 To attack Royalism is a misconstruction of liberalism。
What an error！ And what blindness！
Revolutionary France is wanting in respect towards historic France； that is to say； towards its mother； that is to say； towards itself。
After the 5th of September； the nobility of the monarchy is treated as the nobility of the Empire was treated after the 5th of July。
They were unjust to the eagle； we are unjust to the fleur…de…lys。 It seems that we must always have something to proscribe！
Does it serve any purpose to ungild the crown of Louis XIV。； to scrape the coat of arms of Henry IV。？ We scoff at M。 de Vaublanc for erasing the N's from the bridge of Jena！ What was it that he did？
What are we doing？
Bouvines belongs to us as well as Marengo。
The fleurs…de…lys are ours as well as the N's。 That is our patrimony。
To what purpose shall we diminish it？ We must not deny our country in the past any more than in the present。 Why not accept the whole of history？
Why not love the whole of France？
It is thus that doctrinarians criticised and protected Royalism； which was displeased at criticism and furious at protection。
The ultras marked the first epoch of Royalism； congregation characterized the second。 Skill follows ardor。
Let us confine ourselves here to this sketch。
In the course of this narrative； the author of this book has encountered in his path this curious moment of contemporary history； he has been forced to cast a passing glance upon it； and to trace once more some of the singular features of this society which is unknown to…day。 But he does it rapidly and without any bitter or derisive idea。
Souvenirs both respectful and affectionate； for they touch his mother； attach him to this past。
Moreover； let us remark； this same petty world had a grandeur of its own。 One may smile at it； but one can neither despise nor hate it。 It was the France of former days。
Marius Pontmercy pursued some studies； as all children do。
When he emerged from the hands of Aunt Gillenormand； his grandfather confided him to a worthy professor of the most purely classic innocence。 This young soul which was expanding passed from a prude to a vulgar pedant。
Marius went through his years of college； then he entered the law school。
He was a Royalist； fanatical and severe。
He did not love his grandfather much； as the latter's gayety and cynicism repelled him； and his feelings towards his father were gloomy。
He was； on the whole； a cold and ardent； noble； generous； proud； religious； enthusiastic lad； dignified to harshness； pure to shyness。
REQUIESCANT
Madame de T。's salon was all that Marius Pontmercy knew of the world。 It was the only opening through which he could get a glimpse of life。
This opening was sombre； and more cold than warmth； more night than day； came to him through this skylight。
This child； who had been all joy and light on entering this strange world； soon became melancholy； and； what is still more contrary to his age； grave。
Surrounded by all those singular and imposing personages； he gazed about him with serious amazement。
Everything conspired to increase this astonishment in him。
There were in Madame de T。's salon some very noble ladies named Mathan； Noe； Levis；which was pronounced Levi；Cambis； pronounced Cambyse。
These antique visages and these Biblical names mingled in the child's mind with the Old Testament which he was learning by heart； and when they were all there； seated in a circle around a dying fire； sparely lighted by a lamp shaded with green； with their severe profiles； their gray or white hair； their long gowns of another age； whose lugubrious colors could not be distinguished； dropping； at rare intervals； words which were both majestic and severe； little Marius stared at them with frightened eyes； in the conviction that he beheld not women； but patriarchs and magi； not real beings； but phantoms。
With these phantoms； priests were sometimes mingled； frequenters of this ancient salon； and some gentlemen； the Marquis de Sass****； private secretary to Madame de Berry； the Vite de Val***； who published； under the pseudonyme of Charles…Antoine； monorhymed odes； the Prince de Beauff*******； who； though very young； had a gray head and a pretty and witty wife； whose very low…necked toilettes of scarlet velvet with gold torsades alarmed these shadows； the Marquis de C*****d'E******； the man in all France who best understood 〃proportioned politeness；〃 the te d'Am*****； the kindly man with the amiable chin； and the Chevalier de Port…de…Guy； a pillar of the library of the Louvre； called the King's cabinet； M。 de Port…de…Guy； bald； and rather aged than old； was wont to relate that in 1793； at the age of sixteen； he had been put in the galleys as refractory and chained with an octogenarian； the Bishop of Mirepoix； also refractory； but as a priest； while he was so in the capacity of a soldier。
This was at Toulon。 Their business was to go at night and gather up on the scaffold the heads and bodies of the persons who had been guillotined during the day； they bore away on their backs these dripping corpses； and their red galley…slave blouses had a clot of blood at the back of the neck； which was dry in the morning and wet at night。 These tragic tales abounded